Fighter Verses

Romans 12:14–16, Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. 16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. This list of gospel-transformed characteristics in chapter 12 takes on a new […]

Romans 12:11–13, Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Because of God’s mercy, we are called to live totally transformed lives, which is summarized generally as […]

Romans 12:9–10, Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Verse 9 kicks off a rapid-fire list of things that should characterize Christians. It is an ethical code of sorts — a way to live — that […]

Psalm 37:3–4, Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. This is almost too good to be true. God wants us to be happy. He tells us to delight. He enjoys that we enjoy. […]

1 Timothy 4:12, Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. When it comes to youth, we sinners are prone to royally mess things up. Some of us unduly celebrate youth, while others among us unduly despise it. For […]

What does it mean that being called to life means no longer living for ourselves? There is glory — much glory — in being called into something bigger than who we are. We are people with souls, and souls are big. We were made for eternity. A sure sign of our depravity is how we […]

Romans 14:7–9, For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. [9For to this end Christ died and lived […]

The goal of the Christian life is to understand more fully the reality of Galatians 2:20. John Calvin explains: But if we are not our own, but the Lord’s, it is plain both what error is to be shunned, and to what end the actions of our lives ought to be directed. We are not […]

Paul says what he says in 2 Corinthians 4:17–18 because he saw the world a certain way. Physically, he had been through a lot. His outer nature, as he says, was wasting away. Our bodies will do that, too. But the inner nature, the one we can’t see, is being renewed. Another contrast Paul gives […]

Notice the phrase, “his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). Consider the depth of what Paul is saying. . . God possess riches of glory. It is not just that he is glorious, not merely that he’s important. His glory is rich. It is bountiful and desirable and precious. It’s real. It is […]

Philippians 4:19, And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Hardships for the Christian can be heavy burdens to carry. But when we bring them to the arms of the Almighty they become light (Matthew 11:29–30).  Poverty may not turn to immediate profitability, but Jesus gives […]

Proverbs 29:1, 11 He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing. 11A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back. These are precious words for those who believe. Verse 1 is getting at the propensity for our hearts to grow callous and […]

Psalm 91:5–6, You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. You don’t have to be afraid. The scope of these verses intend to encompass the whole of your experience. Night or day, at […]

“For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.” This is the promise of Psalm 91:3. It true for all of those who embrace Jesus Christ in saving faith. But what about James Chalmers, a Scottish-born Presbyterian missionary of the 19th century? In a 1984 article from John […]

Augustine begins his commentary on this passage by noting it’s unique use in the New Testament — it’s unique use not in its meaning but in who speaks it. You’ll recognize Psalm 91:11 (coming up in week 33) as the verse that Satan quoted to Jesus in the wilderness temptation (Matthew 4:1–11). Augustine sees this […]